New Year weekend

Well, 2016 finished me off mechanically!  My plan was to spend New Year with my son and his family in Kent and I set off in my car, on an icy, foggy, Friday morning.  I should have realised that I was fated when I went down the small hill near the house, applied the brakes and went into a skid, but luckily stopped before the main road.

Anyway the clutch was causing me problems and by the time I had been going about 45 minutes it stopped working altogether and so I coasted to a gentle halt on the busy A1 heading to London. Luckily the breakdown came quickly, told me that he couldn't do anything and so me and my car parted company!!!!  Me to be taken to the nearest train station and the car to be towed home to my garage for repair; in that order!  So that is how the weekend started but luckily improved very quickly and as I know my way around our train network I was soon at my son's home.

Next morning we all went to the pantomime in Canterbury to see Dick Whittington

Taken by my son with permission of the show



After lunch we looked round the outside of Canterbury Cathedral the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the leading cleric of the Anglican Church. Unfortunately services were taking place so we couldn't go inside.

Taken from the theatre

 

 


The Christmas crib

I discovered that my daughter in law was in the 6th form of King's School, Canterbury whose buildings are in the grounds of the cathedral so she showed us around.

The Norman staircase built in 1153



View from the top

 The stairs of the staircase were very, very worn!   We loved this shop -

Look at the front door!!  The whole building has sagged

Finally before we left the Cathedral we looked at the figures in the niches.  Two I recognised

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh

but then I needed one other and my son found him -

Archbishop Chichele -

who was born in Higham Ferrers, the town next to mine.  Job done!

The weather changed for New Years Day as we headed out for a walk by the sea.  We had to change our plans because of this and it was also high tide.

We couldn't see France

though we did try with the binoculars!!

The other grand-daughter had scootered on ahead!

Sculpture using the old 'groynes' from the sea

It was cold, windy and wet as we walked along the new South Coast sea defences at Camber and I remembered that the last time I was there, the sun shone and the children played in the sand dunes!!  However it was very invigorating.

On the journey back home we passed this little church on the marshes that has been used for filming Great Expectations.

Fairfield Church

Very isolated.  Perhaps in better weather we could go and explore it.

Finally back at home, can I wish everyone a Happy New Year, with the hope that 2017 is full of laughter, friends and family and hobbies (in the loosest form) which for me is lots of 'craftiness'.  I am not making any resolutions but I do have a number of projects in the planning.  I hope that they all turn out as I envisage them!!